'Made in India' Vande Metro trains would be ready to roll out by 2024, said the minister of railways Ashwini Vaishnaw adding the possibility to run a customised version of these in place of air-conditioned (AC) locals in Mumbai.
He added that AC Vande Metro and Vande Bharat trains were the future and the aim was to run them in every corner of the country.
Vande Metro trains will give suburban passengers higher speeds and comfort. Notably, air-conditioned (AC) locals are already gaining popularity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The concept of Vande Metro is said to be similar to that of ‘Regional Trans’ trains of Europe. They will be similar to local trains but it will travel much faster. It is going to be a rapid train that will give passengers a world-class shuttle-like experience.
According to Vaishnaw, pitching for faster and hassle-free connectivity between two cities, the railways has decided to offer two types of Vande Metro services–Vande Metro Rapid and Vande Metro Regional for intra-city and intercity travellers across the country. However, the railway is currently focusing on intercity connectivity.
In addition, the railways will soon introduce sleeper version of Vande Bharat Trains for middle and long-distance journey. Design for the same is in progress and prototype rake is expected to be turned out in 2023-24, he added.
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